Boss pleased that the Alex have tightened up at the back.

Steve Davis has told the club’s official web-site that his Crewe Alexandra side have harder to break down this season. The Alex have tightened up during this campaign and have been very much in every game, losing by the odd goal on six occasions in all competitions.

Even home defeats to Swindon and Millwall were closer than the 3-1 scoreline suggests.

The stats show that Crewe have conceded less goals than previous seasons and Davis and his staff have worked hard on making us more resilient. That organisation and determination to keep the ball out of our net has resulted in the Railwaymen going four away games without defeat.

The Alex boss told us: “The stats shows that we are conceding less goals than previous starts to a season and we need to continue to make sure we do that.

“I think we have become harder to beat and we have been unlucky in a number of games this season when we have lost by the odd goal or the other team has had a bit of fortune in their favour. We have been in the games but perhaps the opposition have taken a chance when they have had their better spell in the game. It is all very close.

“We have been unlucky not to have kept two successive clean-sheets against two teams who are right up there at the top of the division. That gives us confidence and we are not relying on Ben (Garratt) and the back four to keep us in games. All the players are playing their part.

“If we can keep things tight like we have been doing then we are always in with a chance of nicking it. We had enough chances against Gillingham to go ahead and then Brad (Inman) had a chance to nick it at Burton on Tuesday.

He added: “I’ve been pleased with the way we have been defending, especially away from home and the shape of the team has been good.”